Doncaster, the 2023/24 champions, are the only side with a two-out-of-two record after Wednesday night’s second round of the Yorkshire Premier League.
With opening-night victors and defending champions Pontefract 1 having a night off, Doncaster took the opportunity to seize top spot with a 15-6 victory at Pontefract 2 which was secured by their lower order.
Doncaster’s world no.105 Asia Harris, playing her childhood club, beat junior player Noah Riley in three, Abhinva Gupta took down Ponte’s Scottish debutant James Taylor and Aussie David Turner recorded another straight-games win, over Connor Sheen.
With the result sealed in the blink of an eye, Pontefract 2 did rescue something from the evening as another debutant, Kiwi Oliver Dunbar, defeated England’s no.3 junior Dylan Roberts, then New Zealand national champion Lwamba Chileshe overcame world no.50 George Parker in four.
Nick Matthew made a guest appearance for Cleethorpes as they whitewashed an under-strength Queens side 20-0, dramatically reversing their fortunes from a heavy defeat last week by Hallamshire.
Oscar Hill and Harry Falconer started the rout in the lower order, then a heavily stacked top three of Wales international Elliot Morris Devred, three-time world champion Matthew and South African world no.68 Dewald van Niekerk finished the job in ruthless fashion.
Hallamshire slipped to their first defeat of the season in a tight affair at Ferriby Hall.
Wins for the Sheffield side’s Welsh youngster Oliver Jones and stalwart Adam Turner had turned around an early wound inflicted by the hosts’ no.5 Glyn Saunders, but the Humberside club’s top two clinched the Ferriby victory. Londoner Caleb Boy defeated Matt Gregory in three and England international Ben Smith downed Kiwi Temwa Chileshe in four.
Having had a night off in round one, Harrogate started their campaign with a trip to York to face Dunnington which ended in a highly entertaining 16-11 defeat.
Both opening rubbers went to five games and were won by the hosts’ Sam Gibbon and Taminder Gata-Aura before Jamie Brown’s four-game victory over Isaac Green sealed the deal for Dunnington.
But two cracking clashes at the top of the order reduced Harrogate’s deficit. Harrogate veteran Chris Simpson, playing at his old club, beat American Marco DiFilippo in four and Welshman Rhys Evans grabbed three more consolation points for the visitors with victory over Pakistani Amaad Fareed.
